Frozen in Time
by TearsOfPaper
Summary: Hawkmoth is desperate to get Ladybug's and Chat Noir's miraculouses, and in a rapid string of akumas the two heroes may be forced to reveal their identities.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own any characters, etc.**

Hawkmoth was getting desperate. It was obvious to Ladybug and Chat Noir due to the significant increase in akuma attacks. Just the other day there were two akumas not five hours apart. Marinette's and Adrien's grades were suffering due to the lack of free time for homework and projects. Sleep was becoming hard to come by. Frequently, Alya had to take notes for Marinette while the exhausted girl slept through Mme. Bustier's lectures. Nino had to do the same thing for Adrien, but not as often. After a month or two of constant akuma attacks, Marinette and Adrien had adjusted to the lack of sleep and could carry on patrol and fights normally. It was about this time that Hawkmoth threw the two teenage heroes a curveball.

"Third akuma within 36 hours," Chat Noir remarked as Ladybug released the purified akuma. "That's got to be some sort of record, bugaboo."

"Probably, but we can debate it later, Chaton. I have somewhere to be now, and we are about to transform back."

Chat bowed as Ladybug prepared to swing off. "As m'lady wishes. Besides, you're right: this cat is about to run out of lives."

"Bug out."Ladybug waved to Chat as she swung off.

After a safe distance, she ducked into a dark alley to detransform. A worn out Tikki appeared as the last spot on Ladybug's earrings beeped and vanished. After a quick peck on Marinette's cheek, Tikki dove into the pink purse where her cookie awaited. Marinette carefully closed the clasp and peeked out of the alley. No one was around, so she slipped out and headed back to school.

"You missed the excitement," Alya hissed as Marinette slid into her seat. "Mayor Bourgeois was akumatized for the third time in the last two months."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Let me guess Chloe's response. 'I don't think my Daddy would like to be bothered by this.'" The two girls laughed at Marinette's spot on impression of the snarky prima donna of Paris.

"Exactly, girl! You should have been there to stand up to her. 'Chloe, sit down.'" Alya began an exaggerated imitation of Marinette. "'Your precious Daddy doesn't care right now. You want to know why? He's up there attacking Paris. Again.'"

Marinette rolled her eyes but grinned. "I don't do that."

The two girls laughed together until Mme. Bustier called the class to order.

"Now that the akuma attack is over, we can carry on with our lesson."

Suddenly, a loud voice was heard all over Paris. "I am Mystic. The world has wasted too much of my time and passed over me too often. Now I determine not only who I am and what I do with my time, but who you are and what happens to your time!"

Marinette groaned. This was the quickest turn around yet for Hawkmoth: not even half an hour. His poor kwami, having to work so hard for such an evil man. _No time for those thoughts, Marinette!_ she scolded herself. _There's another akuma victim to fight and rescue._ As the class scrambled to the akuma shelter under the school, Marinette snuck out to transform. _Is this soon enough for your discussion on records, minou?_ Shrugging off her weariness from the last akuma, Ladybug swung out to meet the next.


	2. Chapter 2

"What a pleasure to cat-ch up with you so soon, m'lady." Chat Noir's voice drew Ladybug's attention away from the akuma victim perched on the Eiffel Tower.

"Not now, Chaton. We need to focus. There's an akuma."

Chat nodded. "Right, bugaboo. Shall we figure out what happened this time?"

"Of course," Ladybug agreed, "And also what Hawkmoth feeds his kwami. This has been a rather rapid turn around for him."

The heroic pair sprang toward the iconic landmark that dominated Paris' skyline. Below them, Parisians scattered like ants whose hill had been destroyed. The new akuma - she had called herself Mystic - watched from her perch as her laughter echoed around the city. Ladybug and Chat Noir finally drew close enough to see the evilized figure. Mystic's outfit was a red dress - no, wait - it was an orange poncho - no - a blue jumpsuit. Ladybug couldn't make it out. It was as if everything about Mystic was shrouded in a mist of inconsistency, uncertainty, and change. There was one point where Ladybug could have sworn Mystic was truly Adrien, but the next minute Chat thought he saw Marinette. Both caught a glimmer of Alya, Nino, and Mayor Bourgeois before Mystic's appearance shifted back to a cloud-clad mystery.

Chat leaned closer to Ladybug and whispered, "Who do you think she is?"

"I am Mystic." The disorienting villain must have heard Chat's question, because she answered it. "As for who I was, you wouldn't recognize me if you knew. No one would, for you all made me fit to your mold. No more. I will do as I please, and the whole world will obey my every whim."

"You can't do that!" cried Ladybug. "Each person is in control of and responsible for their own actions. No one should be forced to do anything."

Mystic laughed in contempt. "Tell that to everyone who forced me to fit their ideas of who I should be. No more! I finally get to be myself, and not only that, but I decide what everyone does with their time and personality."

"Not if we decide you are not allowed to do that!" Chat Noir called out.

"Is it time for a fight? Am I supposed to take your miraculouses now?" Maniacal laughter echoed off of the buildings around them. "I say no. I think it is time for everyone to freeze! Though you do interest me. Perhaps I shall leave all the active miraculous holders out of my time freeze. However, you may not fight me. This is my decision, now let it become true!"

With Mystic's declaration, a supersonic wave radiated out from her Eiffel Tower perch and rolled beyond the city limits of Paris to what Ladybug and Chat could only assume to be the entirety of the world. The panicked cries of the citizens were suddenly silenced as time froze around the heroes. The two teens looked at each other. Mystic had said that all active miraculous holders were exempt from being frozen in time, but did that apply to kwamis? Could they still transform and detransform? How would they know? Suddenly, a thought swept over the pair. Hawkmoth was still unfrozen, and Ladybug realized that Master Fu was still untouched by the time freeze.

"Chaton, I have an idea, but I need you to try and fight her so that I can slip away."

"Of course, m'lady."

With that, Ladybug swung away to find Master Fu while Chat Noir gripped his baton harder and charged the akuma victim. A loud cry tore from his throat as he leaped to knock Mystic off of her perch. Unfortunately, Mystic had more power than he had bargained for. His baton was torn from his hands before he even landed, so that he was unable to dethrone the villain. An attempt at punching her only led to his own fall from the Eiffel Tower. Grasping at the metal frame, Chat managed to halt his fall enough that he safely landed on the ground next to his baton.

"Until next time, kitty," called Mystic.

She leapt from the tower in the opposite direction that Ladybug had gone, and as she left Chat overheard her responding to Hawkmoth.

"Calm down. I can decide what they do. They can't escape me, so I will get their miraculouses later. I have some people I want to...visit first."


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own the characters, etc.**

"Master Fu!" Ladybug skidded to a halt in front of the guardian's door. "We have questions we desperately need to ask you!"

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Master Fu gave a meaningful look at the massage patient on the bed.

Ladybug marched in, disregarding his stern look. "It doesn't matter, Master. Everyone except current miraculous holders are frozen in time by Hawkmoth's latest akuma, Mystic."

"Oh. I thought he had just gone to sleep. I guess that means he doesn't need to continue his massage. What can I help you with?"

Ladybug sat down and told Master Fu everything that had happened. She told him everything that Mystic had said. She told him of how she left Chat to distract the villain. She told him of their realization that Hawkmoth was also unfrozen. Master Fu sat in silence until the very end of her breathless speech. Once Ladybug had finished, he stood up and began pacing the room.

"This is quite worrisome, Marinette," Master Fu said. "And you say you don't know if the kwamis were left unfrozen?"

"Exactly. I'm afraid to use my Lucky Charm or have Chat use his Cataclysm. If we detransform, we may not have a way to transform back into Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"Well, there is a way to check on that. I just hate to do it now."

Ladybug looked at him curiously. "What would be such a problem about making sure Wayzz is okay?"

Fu rubbed the back of his head. "It's his naptime. Honestly, it should be mine too. While I'm still young, 188 is not as young as I once was. Nevertheless, I shall check on him for the good of the world."

Stepping over to the dresser on the other side of the room, Master Fu opened a drawer and poked the turtle kwami who was sleeping in his matchbox bed. Nothing happened at first, so Fu started poking Wayzz with a bit more desperation. After a dozen or so pokes like this, Wayzz rolled over and hit Master Fu's finger away. Wayzz then yawned and stretched as Fu sighed in relief.

"Why are you bothering me in my naptime, Master? Is something wrong?"

"Mon Dieu, thank heavens you are alright, Wayzz."

Ladybug nodded her thanks to Master Fu. "Now I know we are safe to detransform. My other question was what would happen if we gave a miraculous to someone? Remember how I gave Alya the fox miraculous before? If I did that, would she unfreeze, or not?"

Fu shrugged. "I don't think we need to worry about that now. If you desperately need help, we will find out then."

"Thanks for everything, Master. I need to get back to Chat." Ladybug waved to Fu and Wayzz as she darted back out the door.

Wayzz looked at Fu expectantly. "If you're going to wake me up from my nap, you better explain what's going on. Besides, you know I love good gossip."

Master Fu smiled. "Of course, Wayzz. Let me get the tea."


	4. Chapter 4

Ladybug swung to the Eiffel Tower, ready to aid Chat Noir in his attempts at fighting Mystic, but when she arrived the akuma victim was gone. Chat stood there, an embarrassed look clouding his face as Ladybug approached. Wordlessly, he pointed off in the opposite direction that she had just come from.

"What happened?" Ladybug asked.

Chat covered his face briefly before answering. "I tried to fight her, but she really can control people. I couldn't even touch her. I nearly fell to my death. Then she leapt away, talking to Hawkmoth as she went. Apparently she didn't think we were a problem and she had other people to torment first. Oh, m'lady. It was paw-sitively humiliating."

Ladybug put a hand on Chat's shoulder. "It's alright, Chaton. You distracted her enough for me to take care of what I needed to."

"Master Fu?"

"Yeah. And I bring good news."

"That would be refreshing after my cat-astrophe," Chat chuckled.

Ladybug shook her head and smiled. "The good news is kwamis are not frozen by Mystic's time control. However, Master Fu and I are unsure what would happen if we were to give a miraculous to someone. Like if I was to return Rena Rouge's miraculous to her, we don't know if she would unfreeze. So, I suppose there is a bit of bad news, but not terrible."

Chat nodded. "Well, we need a plan now. Since we know that our kwamis are safe, could you see what your Lucky Charm would give us?"

Ladybug threw her yoyo into the air with a loud cry, "Lucky Charm!"

A bright pink flash cast strange shadows for a second before disappearing. Four earplugs fell into Ladybug's outstretched hand. What was she supposed to do with these? She looked around, but saw nothing that triggered any ideas. The only other times that had happened was when she was supposed to go to Master Fu's, but she had just been there. She thought she had seen everything after being Ladybug for two years, but this was definitely new.

"Any ideas, bugaboo?"

She shook her head. "I honestly have no clue. This is very unusual."

"You could detransform and ask your kwami."

"After two years of you trying to find out my identity, this is the first time I've seriously considered taking your suggestion." She laughed in amazement.

Chat grinned for a second, but became serious as he said, "You know I'm just playing with you when I make such suggestions." He continued after an affirmative nod from his lady. "While I want to know who you are, I understand we can't share our identities and I respect your choice to abide by the rules."

"Thank you, Chaton."

His playful grin reappeared as he winked at her. "But if you want to, I wouldn't mind breaking a few rules, bugaboo."

"Not today, Chaton. We need to go after Mystic."

"But, m'lady?" Chat purred. "We can't fight her, remember?"

Ladybug rubbed her temples. "We can figure that out when we get there. I hope."


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own the characters, etc.**

"Well, this is a cat-astrophe."

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Now is not the time, Chat. Besides, you already used that one."

The two superheroes perched on a building overlooking the Seine. Mystic was standing on the bank of the river, laughing at her hapless victim. The poor man was flopping about on the ground beside her like a fish out of water. Suddenly, she kicked him into the river where he started to swim off. Ladybug leapt into the air, throwing her yoyo around the man and pulling him from the water. He thrashed in her arms as he had on the river bank, causing Ladybug to lose her balance. Chat dove and caught the two of them just before they crashed to the ground.

"You're ruining my fun Ladybug and Chat Noir," moaned Mystic. "Fine. I won't drown him. He can have his own mind back, but since I'm done with him, he can freeze again."

The man in Ladybug's arms calmed down and stood up on his own feet. He tried to run away, but before he could take a step, time caught up with him - or rather, he caught up with time. He froze in place as Hawkmoth's purple butterfly shape appeared as a glowing mask on Mystic's face. Ladybug and Chat Noir couldn't hear the villainous miraculous holder, but they were sure he was ordering Mystic to take their miraculouses.

"I'm getting tired of you bossing me around, Hawkmoth," Mystic replied through the magical connection. "It's time for that to change. You are now my servant. You can do nothing apart from my commands, and if you try, you will be frozen for as long as I please. And you are not allowed to revoke any of my powers." The villain smiled. "In fact, I demand you give me any power I desire. And I desire to be effectively omnipotent."

Ladybug and Chat looked at each other in panic. Hawkmoth wasn't the problem now, but Mystic seemed to be even more of a problem than he had ever been. No akumatized victim had ever gained control of Hawkmoth before.

"Will your Lucky Charm help now?"

Ladybug looked down at the earplugs in her hand and out at the area around them. "Nothing. And I have no idea where her akuma is."

Chat rolled his eyes. "With her shifting appearance, that's not too surprising."

"Exactly. Besides that, now I'm almost out of time. I have no use for my Lucky Charm, and it's just going to make me detransform too soon."

"You're going to do what now?" Mystic startled the heroes as she stepped into their conversation. "Oh, I can't wait. I have been longing to see who you really are, Ladybug." She laughed at the two gaping faces before her. "Come now, you can't really be surprised. But don't worry, Chat. I will let you and Ladybug have your moment before I learn her identity."

At that, Ladybug heard her earrings giving off their one minute warning beep. She threw a panicked look at Chat before swinging away on her yoyo.

"You can't run far, little bug. You and Chat will have your reveal before I release my hold on time."

Chat lost it. "You will not do that to us. M'lady has a reason for keeping our identities secret. I don't care what I want, or what powers you have. You will not do this to us. I refuse."

"You really think you can deny me? Well, well, aren't we a bit catty today. Very well, I will not force a reveal to happen yet. But mark my words, you will not escape sharing your identities - at least with each other." With that, Mystic flew away.

"M'lady," Chat muttered, "This one is so unlike the others. I think we may have a real problem with her."


	6. Chapter 6

Ladybug swung into an alley a few blocks away from her school just as her earrings gave their final warning.

"That was pushing it a bit close, Marinette." Tikki squeaked.

"I know, Tikki, but I needed to get as close to the school as possible. I have to make sure everyone is okay."

Tikki nodded her understanding and flew into the little pink purse that Marinette was holding open. With her kwami safely hidden away, Marinette ran to the school's underground akuma shelter to take attendance. Near the entrance, Alya and Mme. Bustier were frozen in what must have been an argument over Alya going out to film the attack for the Ladyblog. Nino was standing nearby, most likely trying to come up with reasons to keep his girlfriend safe. Marinette could almost hear their argument now, even though everyone was frozen.

 _What do you think you're doing, Mademoiselle Cesaire?_

 _Nothing, Mademoiselle Bustier._

 _Yeah right. You want to go hunt that akuma down so your Ladyblog gets more hits._

 _Shut up, Nino._

 _Yes, Monsieur Lahiffe. Please stay out of this._

 _Mademoiselle Bustier, I will stay safe, I just want to film Ladybug and Chat Noir in action._

Marinette giggled as she imagined the room freezing as soon as Alya said that. Marinette moved on from the couple arguing with the teacher to make sure the rest of the class was present. Chloe was in her typical position of complaint while Sabrina tried to comfort and calm the bratty girl. Marinette shook her head as she imagined how that conversation was going before Mystic froze the world.

 _We didn't even get to start class before this akuma attacked._

 _Chloe, it's okay._

 _No it is not. My daddy wouldn't be happy to know that my education is being interrupted by so many villains._

 _There's nothing he could do about it, Chloe._

 _Of course there is, Sabrina. He's the mayor of Paris. He can do whatever he wants - which means whatever I want him to do._

Marinette growled as she forced herself back to the...she couldn't very well say present when time was stopped altogether. Either way, she couldn't stay and think on Chloe's conversation anymore. That girl was an absolute...Marinette hesitated. She couldn't call Chloe mean names too much or else she would become just like Chloe. And no one would like that, because Chloe was a pretentious, bratty jerk. It was time to move on to making sure everyone else was here. Just then, Marinette heard a sound from above. It had to either be Chat or Mystic, and neither of them could see her detransformed. Where would she be in this scene? Alya, right. Marinette moved back to where Alya was standing with Mme. Bustier and wrapped her hands around Alya's arms as if trying to pull her back. Then, Marinette looked at the ground to keep her eyes from giving her away with unintentional movement.

"Stay quiet, Tikki," Marinette hissed. "We don't want to be caught out of costume."

Just then, the door to the akuma shelter opened and someone stepped in. Marinette shifted her eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the person's shoes. Luckily for her, they stepped closer. She saw black leather boots and heard Chat's voice as he did what she had been stopped from doing - taking attendance.

"Nino, Alya, Marinette, and Mademoiselle Bustier. Arguing over Alya heading out again?" Chat chuckled. "Looks like your outnumbered, Ladyblogger. Chloe and Sabrina over there. The little purr-incess of Paris fur-ever complaining." Chat laughed again. "Fur-ever. I'm going to have to remember that one when bugaboo shows up again. Fur-ever. Ha. Now, where was I? Oh yes." He resumed roll call. "Mylene and Ivan in the back. How sweet of you, Ivan, to be com-fur-ting your girl. Let's see. Alix is over there arguing with Kim and Max. Probably mostly with Kim, come to think of it. Rose and Juleka sitting off to the side as usual. That's a pretty braid you're working on, Rose. I just don't know if it quite goes with Juleka's style." Marinette could almost hear the shrug in Chat's voice. "And last but not least, the class artist, Nathaniel. What are you drawing today? Nothing yet, huh? That's cool, too. Well, since everyone is here, I better get going to find m'lady."

Marinette closed her eyes, trying not to cry out the one question that was burning in her mind: where was Adrien?

"Oh, yes. I almost forgot." Chat snickered. "One more person left to count. Where's Adrien Agreste? Oh yeah, that's me. And it doesn't matter if I tell you because you're all fur-ozen. Fur-ozen. That's another one I have to remember for Ladybug."

With one last chuckle at his own puns, Chat Noir left the akuma shelter. However, he could've stayed and examined each one of his classmates to see if they were truly frozen and never catch that Marinette wasn't. The news that Chat was Adrien was too much for her to process. Her mind was stuck on that, and her body was stiff enough to pass for frozen in time. About five minutes after Chat - no, Adrien - no, Chat left the room under the school, Marinette finally moved. She was still dazed by the news, but something seemed off about it now. While Chat wanted to know who she was, he wasn't careless with throwing his identity out. Something seemed off. Perhaps he was joking. Or maybe - Marinette shuddered at the thought - maybe Mystic had ordered him to tell his identity. Was he under Mystic's control? A rueful chuckle escaped Marinette's lips. Weren't they all at the mercy of Mystic's whims? Besides, Chat was right. It didn't matter if he told the frozen people who he really was.

Marinette shook her head, trying to clear it. "Tikki, we need to get back out there."

Tikki flew out of Marinette's purse holding a cookie. "But, Marinette, aren't you freaking out about knowing who Chat Noir is?"

"Not now, Tikki. I have to be Ladybug now. Marinette can freak out over her crush later."

Tikki didn't seem convinced. "But you are Marinette. And you're Ladybug. Ladybug is Marinette, and Marinette is Ladybug."

"I know, Tikki. But Paris is in danger. I can't be selfish and go into full-blown freak out. I know that I am head over heels for Adrien. I think that Chat is head over heels for Ladybug - or at least, that's the vibe I get after his visit to me before the Glaciator incident. I can recognize that we love each other without knowing it, but I cannot think about that now. We have to save Paris from the hands of Mystic, and through her, Hawkmoth."

"Whatever you think is necessary, Marinette." Tikki wolfed down the last of her cookie.

Marinette nodded. "Right now, Ladybug is necessary. Tikki, spots on!"

Ladybug leapt from the akuma shelter, not noticing Chat Noir standing in the shadows by the door. He had heard everything, and now he was trying to make sense of it all. Marinette was Ladybug? Marinette was in love with Adrien? Great. Now they both knew each others identities, just as Mystic had insisted. They had to deal with this sometime, but Ladybug - Marinette - his heroine partner was right. Now they had to deal with Mystic.


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own the characters, etc.**

Ladybug circled the major areas of Paris, but there was no sign of Mystic. The akuma victim had all but disappeared. After what should have been about half an hour, Ladybug gave up on finding Mystic. Landing on a nearby roof, the heroine of Paris began to pace worriedly.

"Where could she be? I've searched all the major places that akumas attack, and some of the out of the way places, too. This one has me confused, Chat. Utterly confused." Ladybug looked around her. "Chat? Chat Noir? Where are you?"

Except for the lingering echoes of her call for Chat, Paris was silent. With time stopped, there were no background noises. Birds had ceased to serenade the city. Crickets had ceased to play their songs for passersby. Cars had ceased to rumble and cough as their tires ate up miles of asphalt and brick roads. The hum of an active city was no longer present, and what it left in its absence was stifling, eerie silence. It was the silence of horror movies multiplied ten times over. Her own breathing and heartbeat were deafening to Ladybug's ears.

"Chat?" she whispered, trying desperately to break the silence she had become acutely aware of. "Chat, where are you? Please, I need you here."

Ladybug felt her body begin to tense up and shiver. Her senses kicked into high gear, but still there was nothing moving. Slowly, she sat on the roof and drew her knees to her chest. Oh how she wished Chat was here. Or Alya. She just wanted someone to be there to ward off the silent oppression of loneliness.

"This is how my heart felt when I first heard my mother was gone."

Ladybug whipped her head around to see Chat standing behind her, leaning on his baton. A sudden wave of relief washed over her, and before she knew what she was doing, she had leapt over to hug him.

"Aww, were you scared bugaboo?"

Ladybug scrambled backwards and protested. "Of course not. I was just concerned that Mystic had gotten you. Yeah, that's it."

Chat chuckled, but let it slide. "Nah. She almost had me, but let me go. Speaking of Mystic, I have some news I need to share with you."

"What is it, Chat?"

"Well, as you heard, Mystic took control of Hawkmoth. You also heard her threatening to force us to share our identities. I think she is a threat unlike any we have ever seen before."

"Of course she is. However, none of that is news. Besides, she can't force us to share our identities."

Chat rubbed the back of his head with a clawed hand. "That's what I thought, too. She said she wouldn't force a reveal yet, but she must have changed her mind. I went to check up on some friends while you were getting your kwami fed, and something came over me. I could still see and hear, but I had no control over what I was saying. I blurted out my identity to the room of my frozen friends. Now, I know they were frozen, but I'm not sure if they could still hear."

"I'm pretty sure they can't," Ladybug said dismissively. She had to change the topic. They had to refocus on Mystic.

Chat, oblivious to Ladybug's tone, continued. "Once I left the room, I tried to leave the building, but my legs were no longer under my control. I sat by the room for several minutes, silently forced to listen to everything going on inside." He gave an embarrassed and apologetic smile. "I know you said we needed to focus on Mystic first, and I tried to do that, I really did. However, I just couldn't shake the feeling that we wouldn't be able to work together effectively with this hanging over us."

"And how do you know that the unshakeable feeling wasn't from Mystic?"

"I just do. It's different."

Ladybug groaned. "Chat, this is a bad idea. We have to focus on the akuma."

Chat shook his head emphatically. "Look, you're the planner. Have you had any plans on how to defeat Mystic?"

"Not yet, but talking about _that_ won't help at all."

"Could you please just try?"

Ladybug sighed. "Fine."

"Great, I'll go first." Chat gave her his signature smirk. "Hi, I'm Adrien Agreste, but you already know that because you were hiding in the akuma shelter with the rest of the class. My kwami's name is Plagg, and he's a glutton for cheese, especially Camembert. I like being Chat Noir because I can escape my overbearing father, his strict rules, and his cold and unloving non-attention to me."

"You make it sound like we are in some sort of AA meeting." Ladybug rolled her eyes.

Chat grinned. "Hello, welcome to Superheroes Anonymous. This is a safe place to share your identities and commiserate with each other over the struggles of saving the world. We have just heard from the absolutely stunning Chat Noir, so now we give the floor to the lady of the hour, savior of Paris, the one and only Ladybug!"

"Oh my goodness, Chat." Ladybug giggled. "Okay, I will go along with this, mon minou. Hi, I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but you already know that because you were forced to stay outside the akuma shelter and listen to my conversation with Tikki. My kwami's name is - surprise - Tikki, and she is the sweetest, most helpful friend you could ever have. I really didn't want to be Ladybug at first, but I continued out of a sense of duty when I saw Alya get attacked by Stoneheart."

"Bravo, bravo, m'lady." Chat applauded. "But there's more."

Ladybug blushed a scarlet nearly as deep as her suit. "I-I-I'm not-t-t sure wh-wh-what you're talk-k-king about."

Chat put a finger under her chin and lifted her face until she looked him in the eyes. "I love you too."

Ladybug started stuttering in the gibberish that was so familiar from Marinette's mouth. Chat just laughed at his adorable partner before leaning down to kiss her cheek. Somehow, that caused her brain to kick back into high gear.

"Chat! I have it!"

"Have what, bugaboo?

"The answer to defeating Mystic - and Hawkmoth at the same time!"

Chat grinned. "This is going to be good."


	8. Chapter 8

Ladybug was practically shaking from excitement. Chat had been right - talking about what had happened in the akuma shelter had freed her mind up to come up with a plan. This was her best plan yet. It would take much longer than usual, but they had the time.

"Chat! I have it!"

"Have what, bugaboo?"

"The answer to defeating Mystic - and Hawkmoth at the same time!"

Chat grinned. "This is going to be good."

Ladybug pulled away from Chat and started pacing the rooftop. "So, we know that Hawkmoth uses his akumas to prey on negative emotions and create supervillains."

"I thought you said you had the answer, m'lady. That's not an answer, it's old news."

"Yes, yes, hear me out on this Chaton. Lately, Hawkmoth has been getting desperate to steal our miraculouses. I have had a couple theories on why, but they don't make much sense." Ladybug suddenly turned to stare intensely at Chat. "We are seniors this year. Next year, we might be leaving Paris, but we can't do that if Hawkmoth keeps up his akuma attacks. It is fairly well known that we are not in our thirties, so Hawkmoth might be guessing that we might be graduating and leaving soon. If he suspects us of being seniors going to college elsewhere in France, he would want to do everything he could to get our miraculouses as soon as possible - hence the string of akumas."

Chat shrugged. "We have no idea who he is. You suspected my father once, and that might make sense with your theory, but he was akumatized. There's no evidence anyone else would know our ages. Even Alya doesn't suspect us, and that's saying something considering she's your best friend."

"Does no one else suspect us?"

Chat shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. I know my father once suspected me of being, well, me. But I managed to throw him off the scent, I think."

Ladybug growled and started to pace again. This threw a wrench in her ideas. And if her ideas didn't come together, then the plan was hopeless. They had one thing in the way of victory. One thing. If they couldn't figure out Hawkmoth's identity, there was no hope. Mystic would continue to control the world, and the two teenaged super heroes would be useless, pawns in a game they couldn't control.

"M'lady? Bugaboo? Marinette!" Chat's voice snapped Ladybug out of her thoughts.

"Hmm? What?"

"Why do you need all these theories on Hawkmoth to work out? What is your plan?"

"My plan? Oh yeah, my plan. Well, since Mystic is akumatized, and the akuma's powers come from Hawkmoth, if we find Hawkmoth and take his miraculous, Mystic loses her powers. Thus, Mystic and Hawkmoth are defeated in one swell foop - I mean fell swoop."

Ladybug shook her head as Chat's adorable expression made her tongue trip up. Knowing Adrien was behind that mask just made resisting Chat's flirtatious advances - and all his adorable quirks - ever so much more difficult. He seemed to recognize this, because he slunk closer to her and purred in her ear.

"Chat got your tongue?"

She buried her face in her hands. Why did he insist on making puns when things were supposed to be serious. She was telling him the plan, for crying out loud. The least he could do was listen respectfully. The voice of reason in her head reminded her that Chat did listen respectfully, and he understood what she wanted every time, even in the times when she wasn't very clear. However, his puns that were intended to lighten her mood more often than not interrupted her train of thought. But was it so unwelcome this time? No, she decided. It wasn't an unwelcome interruption. And she had to admit, he was good at making puns.

"What's got you fur-ozen in thought, m'lady?"

"Nothing, minou. And I heard you practicing that one, remember?"

Chat put his hands up and grinned. "I a-paw-logize, bugaboo. Are you ready to return to your theories on Hawkmoth's identity?"

"I guess."

"Good. Are you hungry?"

"Uh, sure?" Ladybug was thrown by his random question.

"Excellent. Since everyone is frozen, I vote we go to your place. I am dying to get hold of some of those paw-sitively incredible Dupain-Cheng croissants."

"Silly kitty," Ladybug said as she led the way.

Chat leapt off the roof, keeping a close pace with her. "What? I'll focus once I get some food."

"You'd better, Chaton. Or no more croissants for you."


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own characters, etc.**

Ladybug led Chat to the Dupain-Cheng family bakery across the silent roofs of Paris. Landing on her balcony, she opened the trapdoor window and slipped in. Chat followed with a confused look.

"Why aren't we going in the front door?"

Ladybug looked around, mildly surprised. "Oh, I didn't think. I'm used to sneaking in through the trapdoor as Ladybug." She shrugged and started downstairs. "Spots off."

Chat froze, unsure of what to do now that his lady was finally unmasking. Of course, he knew it was Marinette under there, but seeing the detransformation was a little disorienting. He stood there staring as Marinette opened the door in her floor and stepped onto the stairs. She looked over at him before her head disappeared.

"Coming, Chaton? You're welcome to drop the outfit if you like. I mean, the cat's already out of the bag."

Did she just make a cat pun? He detransformed, still shocked by Marinette's words.

"Oh come on, kid," Plagg groaned. "She has made puns like that before, you just didn't notice."

"Seriously?"

"Does she have cheese? I need my cheese." Plagg flew off, ignoring Adrien's question.

"Get back here you little troublemaker!"

Adrien darted down the stairs, through the Dupain-Cheng's living room, and into the bakery where Marinette was already getting out croissants and cheese. Plagg was rubbing his forehead against Tikki's, but as soon as Marinette offered him the cheese, he zipped over to scarf it down. Marinette looked over at Adrien and smiled, a light pink hue rising to her cheeks. After overhearing her conversation with her kwami, he now knew that she was constantly blushing and babbling around him because she had a huge crush on him. How could he have been so dense as to not notice that before? It was so blatantly obvious in retrospect, as was her identity. Adrien shook his head slightly, wondering how he could have missed so much.

"So?" Marinette's voice jolted him from his thoughts. "We were going to discuss possible theories for Hawkmoth's identity."

"Yeah, right. Uh," Adrien searched his recollections for anything that might be a clue. "Well, Hawkmoth is a guy, so that rules out half of Paris."

Marinette shook her head. "That's all you've got? Maybe you haven't earned this croissant after all." She giggled as she held it behind her.

"That's not fair! I was just starting with the basics."

"Mmm-hmm." She grinned. "Whatever you say, minou."

"I was going to continue with this. Based on the times of the akuma attacks, we can deduce that Hawkmoth is a loner, has an extremely flexible schedule, or both. Is that better?"

Adrien reached for the croissant as Marinette stretched it just beyond his reach. Suddenly, he hit the point where he had extended beyond his balancing point and fell forward. Marinette squeaked as Adrien toppled forward onto her. The croissant flew into the air, but Adrien was too busy worrying about making sure Marinette was okay. He wrapped one arm behind her head and the other around her waist to protect her from hitting the ground too hard. Then, he stuck his knee out in order to stop their fall. A loud thud echoed through the bakery as his kneecap connected painfully with the tile floor. Rolling over, Adrien sighed in relief that he had managed to keep Marinette off the floor. She rested on his chest for a moment, held tenderly in his arms, before pushing up enough to look down at him. Another blush crept across her face as she tried to process what had just happened.

"Bleah!" Plagg made a gagging noise. "Would you two stop making eyes at each other long enough to feed me? Also, you just let the food go flying, kid. That is a huge culinary faux pas. Don't let it happen again, because next time I refuse to catch your lunch."

Adrien rolled his eyes, but accepted the croissant from Plagg. Marinette scrambled up from the floor and offered her hand to Adrien. After she had pulled him up, he turned her hand over to kiss the back of it.

"Sorry about that, m'lady."

She giggled, but didn't pull back. "It's not a problem, Adrien. Now, can we get back to discussing Hawkmoth's identitiy?"

Adrien swept a grand bow. "Of course. Anything for you, Marinette."

They took a seat at a table and were about to start talking when a loud scream echoed outside. Plagg sighed and Adrien groaned, but Tikki and Marinette were on top of things.

"Spots on!"

"Claws out!"

The two super heroes rushed out the door, the croissants laying forgotten on the table. Hawkmoth's identity would have to wait.


	10. Chapter 10

Ladybug and Chat Noir made their way on the rooftops towards the scream. Mystic must have done unfrozen someone else in order to torment them. The hero pair moved faster and faster as they remembered how Mystic had nearly drowned a man earlier. Who knew what she would do now. Screeching to a halt, the two teens saw Mystic holding a girl, probably between the ages of ten and fifteen, over the edge of the Eiffel Tower.

"Why are you doing this to me?" the girl shrieked.

"You thought you were so much better than me. You thought that my reading habits were stupid. You made my life a living hell. I'm just repaying the favor now." Mystic's taunts echoed loudly.

"We can't let her hurt the girl," Ladybug whispered to Chat. "I don't care if that girl is the next Chloe Bourgeois, she doesn't deserve this."

Chat chuckled softly. "I'm still kind of surprised at how differently you treat Chloe in and out of costume."

"I don't treat her that differently." Ladybug shot Chat a stern look. "And that is beside the fact. Right now we have to deal with Mystic."

The akuma victim - was she really a victim now that she had control of Hawkmoth - was flying out from the tower, still holding the poor girl by the shirt. "I want you to know this before you plummet to the ground: your days of bullying are over. And I, Mystic, am the one to stop you. I, who was once Elena, am putting an end to your tormenting ways."

"That's new. Akumas don't usually share their original identities," Chat murmured.

"Everything about Mystic is new, Chaton." Ladybug leapt off the building. "Let's go!"

The pair dashed towards the Eiffel Tower, trying to get there in time.

"You leave her alone!" Ladybug yelled at Mystic. "If you use your new powers to hurt her, you're no better than she is."

Mystic looked up. "What do you know about that, Ladybug? Do you have any idea how much it hurts to be bullied? Do you know the desire to use your powers to heal the wounds of your heart? How are you in any way qualified to stop me?"

"I understand more than you know. I also have been bullied by a classmate. She tries to tear me down, and has come close many times. However, whenever she does something to me, I have to be nice in return. I stand up for myself and for others, but I try to be gentle and kind in doing that. When I am Ladybug, I put aside all of the pain in order to do my job. When you have powers, you cannot use them for evil."

Mystic laughed. "I can do whatever I want. I have control of Hawkmoth. I have control of time. I have control of the world. And I have control of you two. In fact, since I have control of you, I say you cannot stop me from exacting my revenge on this bully. You will not save her. You will not stop me."

With that speech, Mystic opened her hand and let the poor girl plummet to the ground. Ladybug and Chat Noir watched helplessly as she fell over a thousand feet. Ladybug tried to leap to save her, but Mystic's command rooted the heroine's feet to the rooftop. Ladybug attempted to catch the schoolgirl with her yoyo, but her hand refused to release it. Chat pushed the button to extend his baton, but it malfunctioned. There was nothing the heroes could do but watch as the girl fell to her death. Ladybug looked away, her heart tearing in two. Chat noticed and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, bugaboo. Look at me." Chat knelt beside the weeping savior of Paris. "She's not the first casualty we've had. She's not the last casualty we will have."

"Not helping, minou."

"You have the power of creation. Every time we fight an akuma, you restore Paris to what it was before the attack. That includes raising the dead who were slain in the fray. This time will be no exception." Chat wrapped his arms around Ladybug. "We need to be strong, Marinette. We can do it."

Gulping, Ladybug nodded. "Right. We have a plan. We need to stick to the plan."

"Find Hawkmoth. We can do this, m'lady."

Ladybug took a shaky breath and watched as Mystic flew away, laughing. "We have no choice. Mystic may have started out as an akuma victim, but now she is becoming worse than Hawkmoth. She is no longer after our miraculouses. She does what she wants, no matter the effects it will have on anyone else. That cannot be allowed to continue."

Chat stood, helping Ladybug to her feet. They looked down at the broken body on the ground near the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug was right, this could not be allowed to continue.


	11. Chapter 11

Marinette paced in the bakery lobby. Adrien sat in a chair, watching her. Her tear-streaked face was red, and her eyes were shimmering through the tears. For some reason, she was taking this most recent failure rather hard. Adrien munched on a croissant, trying to think of how to help calm her when Marinette whirled around and stared straight into his eyes.

"When we find Hawkmoth, we defeat him, take his miraculous, and I clean up everything. That girl comes back to life. Mystic's powers are gone. Paris is safe. Yes?"

"We've been over this, Marinette. Yes, that is how it works." Adrien stood up and walked over to her. "It will be okay, bugaboo. We've dealt with worse. You know we have."

Marinette nodded. "It's just, this time we were right there. Normally we could've saved her, but today..." she trailed off and started crying again.

Adrien cupped his hands around her face and gently wiped the tears away with his thumbs. He didn't say anything. He just waited for Marinette to calm down. She sniffled and her breath caught in her throat. He slowly ran a hand through her hair, doing his best to comfort her. Suddenly, she threw her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. One of his hands stayed in her hair while the other rubbed her back. After awhile, Marinette took a big, shuddering breath and pulled back.

"You okay now, Marinette?"

She nodded. "Just tired."

"Well, we've had a long day. I think it's time we get some sleep."

Gently taking her hand, Adrien led Marinette up the stairs to her room. He carefully helped her into bed, tucking her sheets around her. Then he turned around and started for the door only to be stopped by a hand in his. Turning, he saw Marinette looking down at him, her arm outstretched.

"Stay with me," she whispered. "Please?"

Adrien nodded. "I'll just go over to that little couch over there."

"No, Chaton. Up here. With me."

He gave in and climbed up to the bed. Gingerly he snuggled under the covers and waited as Marinette snuggled into him. Then the two exhausted heroes of Paris fell asleep.

Marinette yawned and stretched. The sun was pouring in her windows. Crud. She was going to be late for school. Again. She rolled over to see what time it was and was startled to find Adrien fast asleep in her bed. Adrien was in her bed. Why was Adrien in her bed? Was she dreaming? How did this happen? Suddenly, the events of the day before came crashing back into her memory. Another akuma named Mystic had attacked. Mystic had frozen time and had full control of Hawkmoth and as much control as she wanted over everyone else. Chat Noir had come into the akuma shelter while Marinette was hiding there and revealed his identity. Chat Noir. Marinette's heart skipped a beat. Chat Noir was Adrien. Adrien was in her bed. She had rejected Chat for Adrien. She had rejected the boy she loved in favor of the boy she loved. Her mind whirled through all the times that she had pushed off Chat's flirting. She remembered all the times she had babbled at the mere sight of Adrien. Marinette felt her breaths become shallower and her mind going hazy. She felt herself tense up and begin to tremble uncontrollably. Everything she knew about the two most importand guys in her life seemed like lies. At the same time, however, it made sense. Adrien wanted freedom from his father, and with the mask, he could have it. They really were the same guy. Marinette felt her mind breaking. _Chat is Adrien, and Adrien is Chat._ Her mind repeated that over and over until it drowned out any other thoughts. Her body's tremble turned into a quaking that shook the whole bed. _Chat is Adrien, and Adrien is Chat._ Marinette stared, disbelieving at the sleeping boy in front of her. _Chat is Adrien, and Adrien is Chat._

Suddenly, he opened his emerald eyes, causing Marinette to squeak and fall over the side of the bed. She flinched and prepared for the hard impact on her skull. The anticipated impact never came. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see the ground mere inches from her head. A strong grip on her ankle had prevented her from going all the way down. Adrien kneeled on the bed, his hair a tousled mess, holding her leg. His eyes were open, but very sleepy.

"Falling for me, are you, bugaboo?"

Marinette put her hands on the floor and kicked her feet free of his grasp. She did a flip and landed on her feet.

"Tone and fall. I mean, not at all. I'm just getting out of head - I mean bed." Why was she babbling now? How embarrassing.

Adrien rubbed his eyes and grinned at her. "So, I'm guessing the adrenaline of yesterday has finally worn off?"

"Yes! No! I mean, what?"

"The adrenaline keeping you focused on defeating Hawkmoth and Mystic has worn off, finally allowing you to process the identity revelation."

 _Chat is Adrien, and Adrien is Chat._

"No. I mean, I did that yesterday. I'm all goat."

"Goat?"

"Good! Good! I meant good!" Marinette put her face in her hands. "I'm going to get breakfast. Then we need to think about Mothhawk - I mean Hawkmoth."

She ran out of the room, Tikki flying after her. Plagg stretched and chuckled at the show, earning him a glare from Adrien.

"What, kid? It's hilarious."

"It's adorable. And no mocking m'lady."

"Or what?"

Adrien gave a crooked grin. "Or no Camembert."

"Not my Camembert!" Plagg wailed.

Adrien yawned and stretched. "Then we have an agreement. Now, let's see what's for breakfast. I could go for another of those delicious croissants or a fruity pastry."


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own characters, etc.**

Marinette was sitting at the table when Adrien came down. A piece of paper was beside her and every so often she would scribble furiously before resuming eating. Adrien walked over to peek over her shoulder. _Who Is Hawkmoth?_ The heading on the paper was beautifully done. How had he not noticed how incredible Marinette's handwriting was before? Leaning closer, he tried to see what she had been writing, but she covered the paper up with her arm. Sighing in frustration, he went over to the fridge of their little kitchen.

"What's for breakfast, bugaboo?"

"Whatever you see that you want. And you need a different nickname for me out of costume, or else things are going to get weird at school."

Adrien nodded and grabbed a few things from the fridge and the cabinets. Sitting down, he began to eat.

"So, what have you got on Hawkmoth?" he asked, his mouth full.

Marinette sighed. "Not enough. I know he was akumatized, but I'm still not sure we should rule out your father."

Shaking his head, Adrien disagreed. "He wouldn't just akumatize himself, would he? Besides, there's no way my father could do something as terrible as Hawkmoth."

"Hawkmoth wants our miraculouses in order to get a wish. However, whatever wish is made, there will be an equivalent price to pay."

Adrien hummed softly. "Well, my father would want my mother back, but I still don't think he would use the miraculouses to do that."

"Unless she's dead. He couldn't have her back any other way if that was the case."

"Okay, I still don't think Father is Hawkmoth, but say he was. Do you think he knows of the price of the wish? If he wants Mother back, would he be willing to risk the price for her?"

"I think he does know. He has the grimoire after all." Marinette pointed her spoon at Adrien. "And, think about it. Hawkmoth has had no problems with civilian casualties due to his akumas. Would it really be so terrible to him for someone to die in order for his wife to return to life?"

Adrien shook his head. "Not for Hawkmoth, maybe. But I know my father loves me - or at the very least has some semblance of regard for me. If he was trying to bring Mother back, wouldn't the equivalent price be to lose the person who currently is the closest to him in exchange for his dearest love? So he would be killing me in exchange for Mother, and I don't think he's capable of that." He looked at the table. "I can't think he's capable of that."

Marinette put a hand over Adrien's, ignoring the heat rising to her face. "I'm sorry. I know that it's hard to think ill of your parents. I didn't mean to hurt you. We can move on to other possibilities if you want."

"Why does Hawkmoth want the miraculouses anyways?" Adrien asked. "If he doesn't know about the wish thing, why would he want them in the first place?"

Marinette sat in silence, afraid to push the conversation toward or away from the possibility of Gabriel Agreste being Hawkmoth.

"He already has a miraculous of his own, obviously. Why would he want ours if he just wanted to be a hero? He's had his chance at being a hero with his own miraculous." Adrien took a deep breath. "Knowing about the wish would be the only logical explanation, and who else would know but my father, Master Fu, and us?"

"Adrien?"

"I'm okay, Marinette. But I think you might have a point. The grimoire is the only copy of that in existance besides the pictures Master Fu took. No one else would have a way to know."

Marinette stood up and walked over to Adrien to wrap her arms around him. "We can discuss this with Master Fu if you would like."

Adrien nodded. "That's probably a good idea. Maybe he can show us something we haven't seen. Something that puts my father in the clear."

 _Or more things that condemn your father._ Marinette knew better than to say that aloud. "We can go as soon as we finish breakfast."

Adrien nodded, and the two teenagers finished their food. As they were washing their dishes, a new voice echoed throughout Paris.

"I am Minion. I know you are listening, Ladybug and Chat Noir. I am here to make the world subservient to my master, Mystic, and I am going to start with you two."

"Another akuma?" Adrien muttered. "At the same time?"

"Apparently. Looks like Master Fu will have to wait. We have a job to do, kitty."

The two heroes transformed and leapt from the window to begin a new fight.


	13. Chapter 13

"You know, one of these days maybe the next akuma won't attack when we're doing something important." Chat grumbled as he leapt beside Ladybug. "Maybe we will get some peace and quiet for awhile."

"You know just as well as I do that we have to defeat Hawkmoth before that will happen," Ladybug said.

"I know. They just never give us a chance."

Ladybug shrugged and skidded to a halt as they came in view of the new akuma, Minion. Minion towered over them, even though the heroes stood on a nearby roof and he stood on the ground. He looked similar to bulky street thugs or Adrien's bodyguard, only he wore blue overalls and had revolvers for hands. Chat took a step backwards.

"And what do you say we do with this one, m'lady?"

"Same as any of the others."

Minion growled at the teenaged heroes. "I am Minion."

"Yeah, we got that much already," Chat muttered.

"Too many people do not appreciate my master. Now everyone will serve with as much loyalty and dedication as I do!"

Minion roared and shot at all the frozen people with his hands. Laser blasts from the revolvers hit the people in the chest. A large cracking sound was heard as clones of Minion emerged from the frozen citizens as moths emerge from their cocoons. The newly transformed minions were freed from Mystic's time stopping power and joined the original.

"Lovely," Chat groaned.

"We need help. I need to get Rena Rouge. Can you distract without getting turned?"

"We need more than just Rena Rouge. And no, I really don't think so. Sorry, bugaboo."

Ladybug nodded. "Maybe if we just slowly back away."

"Slowly, silently. Nope, run." Chat turned and bolted as the minions noticed the two teens on the roof.

Ladybug followed, the two of them desperately trying to out pace the newest akuma victims. Luckily, the multiplying thugs were slow, so Ladybug and Chat Noir easily lost them.

"We need to get Rena Rouge and others, but we can't risk them getting turned into minions." Ladybug turned to Chat. "We know each other's identities, but I think we have to share our helpers' identities with each other too."

Chat grinned. "Works for me if it saves the world. I was thinking of Nino."

"Great. Alya is Rena Rouge. I say we also give Nathanial a shot."

"Sure, what about Alix? She could be helpful."

"The heck with it. Grab the whole class, except Chloe, Sabrina, and Mademoiselle Bustier."

With that, Ladybug led the way to College Fracoise Dupont. It took some time, but the two super heroes managed to get everyone from their class into Master Fu's place. Master Fu sat there, slightly amused as more and more frozen teenagers took over his room. Wayzz hovered by Master Fu's ear, watching in confusion. Soon, Ladybug and Chat Noir had everyone they wanted.

Master Fu smiled. "Here's the test."

Ladybug took the fox miraculous and Alya into the other room. Putting the necklace on the frozen girl, she watched as Trixx appeared. Trixx started to greet Alya, but soon noticed that she was frozen.

"This is unfortunate," the fox kwami muttered.

Then, Trixx forced his way into the miraculous, thereby activating it. Alya shuddered and unfroze as her Rena Rouge costume covered her. Fully transformed, she looked at Ladybug.

"What just happened?"

"I'll explain later. Right now I need you to follow me."

Ladybug led Rena Rouge into a third room and told her to wait there. Then, the black-spotted heroine returned to where Chat and the others were waiting.

"It works so long as the kwami activates the miraculous."

"Cool. I'm going to pick one for Nino." Chat hunted through the box, trying to find the right one for his friend. "I don't see one that would work."

Master Fu looked at Wayzz. "I believe I know which one would work for your friend."

Ladybug and Chat darted over to Master Fu and clamped their hands over his wrist.

"No way are we going to let you freeze," Ladybug said.

Master Fu sighed. "Okay, I will take a different miraculous."

Walking over to the open box, he removed the ox ring and put it on. The new kwami appeared and Master Fu safely removed his bracelet for Chat to give to Nino. Slowly, each of the classmates were given a miraculous, taken to the second room to activate it, and taken in costume to wait in the third room. Once everyone had a miraculous, Ladybug and Chat went to the third room to debrief the new heroes while Master Fu put away the box.

"Heroes," Ladybug announced, "We have called upon you in our time of great need. Before we tell you what our task is, we must have you come up with superhero names for yourselves. It is of utmost importance that you do not share your identities with anyone, and that once our task is done, we come back here and one at a time have you return your miraculouses. Is everything clear?"

An affirmative chorus rose from the disguised class.

"Excellent," Chat Noir said, taking the speech from there. "Now it is time for you to decide your names. As is well known, I am Chat Noir. This is my partner, Ladybug. You may know Rena Rouge, as we have called on her before. One at a time, we wish to know the names of your choice."

Rena stepped forward to stand with Ladybug and Chat Noir. One by one, the rest of the class stepped up to join them.

"I am Carapace," Nino declared, bearing the turtle miraculous.

"I am Roost King," Kim crowed, displaying his rooster miraculous.

"I am Venom," hissed Max, wearing the snake miraculous.

"Tigress!" Alix roared.

"I am Black Beauty," whinnied Mylene, the horse miraculous holder.

"Drakon!" Ivan snarled.

"I'll be Chimpanzee," Juleka hooted.

"I'm Dog Boy," Nathaniel barked.

"And I'm Fluffin McCottontail!" Rose squeaked.

The class stared at her, wondering what was going on in her mind.

"What? Not a good name?" Rose sighed. "How about Rabid?" She grinned devilishly, the buck teeth of her rabbit miraculous costume glinting dangerously.

"That works," Ladybug called. "Now, we have a battle to fight. Don't get hit by the laser blasts of the minions. Don't forget that you only get five minutes after you use your super power before you have to find somewhere safe to detransform. Don't forget to feed your kwamis so you can transform back as soon as possible. We need your help. Now, let's go get these monsters!"

With a loud cry, the twelve heroes charged out of the massage parlor. Master Fu watched them go, a gentle smile on his face.

"Good luck, kids."


	14. Chapter 14

**I do not own characters, etc.**

The team of superheroes made their way from Master Fu's to where the minion army was. The minions were searching methodically through Paris for something - or someone. Ladybug patted her suit's pocket to make sure her lucky charm earplugs were still there. They weren't much use, but she would need them to fix everything. Now it was time to come up with a plan. Her mind began working in overdrive trying to incorporate twelve moving pieces from her side and the numerous minions on the other. Scanning the opposing side gave her no clue as to where the akuma could be. Of course, the original Minion might not even be among this group. Ladybug thought hard, scanning over her team. Without warning, Tigress, tired of waiting, jumped up.

"No, Tigress, don't!" Ladybug hissed, but it was too late.

"Hey, uglies!" Tigress roared. "We're over here. Think you can beat us?"

"That was the stupidest move you could've made," Venom groaned. "There is a 95.738% chance that they can beat us with a 74.387% chance that we won't survive. Our best move would have been to wait for Ladybug, because her plans have a 99.999% success rate. Now, we have to beat the odds."

"Never tell me the odds!" Drakon roared. "Move, Venom!"

The heroes scattered as a minion clone swung its gun hand at them, smashing the building. Chat Noir popped up quickly, taking a head count to make sure they were all okay. He looked everywhere, but only saw ten of the twelve team members.

"LB, we got a problem."

"What is it now, Chat?" Ladybug grunted as she dodged a laser blast.

"Chimp and Rabid are missing."

Ladybug sighed but kept moving. "Honestly, so long as I am still around at the end to clean everything up, it really doesn't matter. I brought you back from the dead once." She tied up a minion with her yoyo. "It may be terribly heartbreaking at the time, but despite time being frozen now, we don't have the time to grieve. Especially when they will be back."

Chat nodded and motioned for the majority of the team to follow him. Chat yelled out his usual taunts as he lead the charge against the minions. Ladybug, Rena Rouge, and Venom stayed behind to plan how best to defeat the enemy. They stood out of the way, watching the team in action to get a feel for how the new recruits would interact. Tigress ran circles around the minions before knocking them on their faces. Black Beauty swung her heavy fists and feet at the muscle-laden giants, crippling them. Roost King was a minor nuisance to the minions, but kept bragging about his success. At least he distracted them from Drakon, allowing the stocky guy to barrel over the enemy with abandon. Dog Boy seemed kind of shy about getting involved in the fight, but he did his best to dent the gun barrels. In the center of it all, Chat and Carapace stood back to back, clearing away the minions that seemed to gravitate towards them. They acted as if they had been working together like this for the entire time. Ladybug wasn't surprised, as she knew the identities of both, but Rena and Venom murmured comments about it under their breath.

Suddenly, the three onlookers saw something that surprised them. Hanging from one of the minion's gun was Chimpanzee. She looked oddly calm, but Ladybug could tell she was terrified. Knowing who was under the mask helped her understand the masquerading superheroes a lot more. Ladybug, Rena, and Venom watched as Chimp caught Rabid who had leapt from the minion's hip. Rabid then swung up and gnawed on the gun. Soon enough, a crack appeared and the minion fell to its knees. From the crack flew a small purple butterfly. Thinking quickly, Ladybug snatched the akuma up with her yoyo and purified it. The minion de-evilized and froze again. Ladybug noted that the person's left hand seemed broken. Suddenly, it made sense.

"Chat!" Ladybug hollered over the din of the battle. "The akuma was cloned for each minion. It is in their left hand, but when you destroy the gun you are breaking the person's hand. That can be fixed later, though."

Chat nodded, and the team began to target the left hand guns on the minions. Rena and Venom leapt from the roof to join in, but Ladybug stayed separate to purify each akuma as the team freed them. Within a few minutes, all the minions in that area had been cleansed and re-frozen in time. None of the team had activated their miraculous powers. They leapt away to find the next hub of minion akumas.

"How did Hawkmoth manage to produce a second akuma victim at the exact same time as Mystic?" Ladybug asked Chat.

"For one, it's not at the same time. Nothing is in time." Chat ducked at Ladybug's glare. "Sorry. I suspect it has something to do with Mystic controlling him. She's effectively omnipotent, remember?"

"I forgot she was practically all powerful. That's annoying." Ladybug shook her head. "No matter. We know how to defeat Minion, and that is what matters right now."

Defeating all the minions around the city of Paris took the better part of what should have been a day. When the hero team stood over the final group of re-frozen people, they all felt exhaustion sweep over them. Ladybug and Chat looked at their team. These people could be helpful, but how were they supposed to keep them from seeing each other's true identities when they were the only ones unfrozen? Ladybug sighed. The team had to return their miraculouses, just as had been planned.

Everyone returned to Master Fu's and one by one were taken from the third room into the second. There they detransformed, were told to get into the position they had been frozen in, and had their miraculouses removed. The frozen class and the miraculouses were taken to Master Fu's room. Once everyone had returned their miraculouses, Chat and Ladybug took the class back to the akuma shelter. Master Fu took back his turtle miraculous and returned the ox miraculous to the box. Everything went back to the way it was before Minion. Well, not everything. Ladybug remembered all the people who were left with broken hands. She would fix those, just as soon as the two original heroes defeated Hawkmoth. Chat took her hand and led her back to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Though the sun was frozen high in the sky, the two heroes detransfomed and went to bed. Hawkmoth's identity and Master Fu's input would have to wait another non-day.


	15. Chapter 15

Marinette woke up to strong arms enfolding her. She didn't flip out of the bed this time, but she did start a bit when she saw Adrien's face so close to hers. His eyes opened slowly, and he looked over at her.

"Morning, Princess," he muttered sleepily.

"Morning, Adrien."

They both turned away from each other to yawn, but neither was in any hurry to get up. This annoyed the kwamis - especially Plagg.

"Come on! I need my Camembert. Why aren't you moving? You're awake, so get up."

"Pipe down, Plagg," Tikki scolded. "However, we do need to return to the plan soon."

"What? Oh." Marinette sat up and stretched. "Yeah, we'll go to Master Fu's today."

Adrien sat up beside her and stretched as well. The two teens went down to the kitchen for breakfast. Marinette looked around the empty kitchen, a bit disoriented by the prolonged absence of her parents. She knew they were safe in the bakery's akuma shelter, but the time freeze was starting to throw her off. Shaking her head, she put aside those thoughts and focused on what they were going to tell Master Fu. They needed to know who Hawkmoth was, and she was pretty sure Gabriel Agreste was a likely suspect. However, she didn't want to push that suspicion for Adrien's sake. Marinette sighed. At least they knew that Hawkmoth would be defeated before they graduated. That thought was rather comforting to her. She wouldn't have to put her fashion designing future on hold to protect her city.

After breakfast, the teens transformed and headed to Master Fu's place. He welcomed them, and they all took a seat at a table to one side of the massage bed with the patient still frozen on it. Wayzz flew over when the heroes detransformed to greet Tikki and Plagg. Marinette and Adrien sat side by side, waiting as Fu poured the tea.

"So, what brings you here now?" Master Fu asked, passing tea cups to everyone.

"We have a plan to defeat Mystic and Hawkmoth," said Marinette.

"Marinette has a plan to defeat Mystic and Hawkmoth," Adrien corrected.

Marinette rolled her eyes but ignored his comment. "Hawkmoth has the power to create akumas. He created Mystic and now the two feed off each other's powers. If we can find Hawkmoth and defeat him, we can take away Mystic's powers and remove her akuma."

Master Fu nodded. "And how do you propose finding Hawkmoth?"

"That's the rub," Adrien admitted. "We don't know how to find him without knowing his identity."

"Do you have any guesses as to who he is?"

"Not really," Marinette sighed.

At the same time, Adrien answered, "Yes."

Looking at each other in surprise, they shrugged and turned back to Master Fu.

"Not really," Adrien sighed.

"Yes," Marinette answered.

"Which is it?"

Adrien stepped in before Marinette could do more than open her mouth. "We think it might be my father. All the signs are there."

"But your father was akumatized," Marinette reminded him.

"Marinette, you really don't have to avoid this to keep my feelings safe. I'm not going to get akumatized right now."

Master Fu nodded and stroked his goatee. "I see. And you have come to me for advice and help."

Marinette and Adrien nodded.

"Only active miraculous holders are unfrozen right now, correct?" Master Fu waited until he received an affirmative. "So, why don't you go to Adrien's house and find his father. If he's not Hawkmoth, he will be somewhere in that mansion, frozen like the rest of the city."

"And if he is Hawkmoth," Marinette interjected, "he will be unfrozen somewhere."

"Worth a shot," Adrien sighed.

Marinette smiled at him and put her hand on his leg. "It'll be okay. If he's not Hawkmoth, all the better for you. If he is, maybe we can help him by confiscating the miraculous."

Adrien nodded and stood up. Setting his half full cup on the table he stretched.

"Plagg, claws out."

Marinette watched him, a gentle grin on her face. "We have work to do. Tikki, spots on."

Chat Noir held his and out to Ladybug who took it. Together they walked out of the building and headed to the Agreste mansion. It was time to bring Hawkmoth down - or at the very least, to unmask him.


	16. Chapter 16

**I do not own characters, etc.**

The Agreste mansion was almost quieter than the frozen city, though Ladybug and Chat Noir weren't sure how that was possible. Nathalie was frozen at her computer, poring over schedules for Adrien and Gabriel. Chat shuddered involuntarily as he noticed that even their footsteps were dampened. There was no echo as the heroes crept through the marble foyer and up the staircase.

"He should be in his office," Chat whispered.

Ladybug nodded, uneasy with the lack of any echo. Something was definitely off. With her hand clenched around her yoyo, she gently pushed the large door to Mr. Agreste's office open. Chat peeked in, baton clenched in his hands. The room was empty. The two teenaged heroes slipped into the room and shut the door behind them. Creeping around the room, Ladybug got sidetracked by the computer monitor. A dozen fashion designs were up, giving the appearance of being actively worked on before the time freeze. Forgetting the importance of their mission briefly, she adjusted some of the major issues with the designs. Stepping back to take a look at her handiwork, she bumped into Chat who was staring up at the large portrait of his mother. Turning around, Ladybug put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Chat nodded, but said nothing. They stood there for a minute before a loud sound echoed through the house. Both of the heroes' senses were on high alert because whatever had happened had been enough to echo in the eerily silent mansion. Clicking footsteps approached the office they were in, so they looked around for a place to hide. Ladybug leapt to the ceiling corner above the door while Chat darted behind a curtain. The door opened and Gabriel Agreste stepped through.

"Not in his room. Not at his school. Where could he be? How am I supposed to protect my son if I don't know where he is?"

Chat stifled a gasp. His father was unfrozen. Only active miraculous holders were unfrozen. His father had to be Hawkmoth. There was no other way around it. But, Gabriel was also worried about his son. _About me,_ Chat realized. That realization sparked a series of thoughts that distracted him from what was happening in the room, but Ladybug was able to see it all from her vantage point. Ladybug watched as the fashion designer stepped over to his computer. Why had she messed with his designs? He would surely notice the meddling, and sure enough, he did. Gabriel furrowed his brow and looked around. Luckily for the superheroes, he saw nothing. His eyes widened as he turned to the painting of Emilie Agreste.

"No," Gabriel breathed.

Running his hands over the painting, he pressed some hidden buttons and was lowered into what must have been his lair. After he disappeared, Ladybug and Chat slipped over to follow him. Chat pushed the keys in the painting while Ladybug watched the floor. They couldn't be caught off guard, and they couldn't be noticed. After the floor opened up again, Ladybug peeked into the lair to see Mr. Agreste searching it for something. Grabbing Chat, she used her yoyo to swing them to the ground. Just as they landed, Gabriel turned to look at the descending platform.

"No," he murmured again. "Nooroo, dark wings rise."

With that, Gabriel transformed into Hawkmoth. Chat couldn't keep his gasp in this time, and Hawkmoth looked over to see the heroes standing in his lair.

"It's over now, Hawkmoth," Ladybug called when she realized that they had been seen. "You are going down, and Mystic is going with you."


	17. Chapter 17

Ladybug and Chat took their ready stance as Hawkmoth stepped toward them. Ladybug's whirling yoyo and Chat's tight grip on his baton combined with their looks of deadly concentration had startled many an akuma victim into hesitation, but not so with Hawkmoth. He calmly walked toward the heroic pair, his cane clicking on the floor and echoing through the lair.

"So, we finally meet face to face, Ladybug and Chat Noir. I had hoped this would happen soon, although perhaps soon isn't the right word with Mystic running around."

"You will never get our miraculouses!" Ladybug declared. "And Mystic will fall with you."

Chat nodded vehemently, but said nothing.

"What's wrong, kitten," Hawkmoth sneered. "Chat got your tongue? Where are your clever quips? Your witty comebacks? Your quick insults? What has got you tongue-tied, little hero?"

Chat snarled and glared at Hawkmoth, but managed to hold his tongue. Ladybug, on the other hand, became a fiery ball of fury.

"Have you ever thought about what consequences your actions have for us? For the people of Paris? Have you ever thought about someone other than yourself?"

Hawkmoth chuckled darkly. "I have no doubt you saw who I was, so you should know that I care for and concern myself greatly when it comes to my son."

"Liar!" Chat could hold himself back no more. "You trap him. You do not let him do what he wishes to do. You force him to be a puppet for your brand. You meddle in his affairs far too much. Your concern for him is really just selfish concern for your own image. When you delude yourself into thinking that he matters to you, you are just masking another manifestation of your total selfishness."

Ladybug swung her yoyo to act as a shield for the heroes as she stepped back to put a hand on Chat's shoulder. Her touch calmed the leather-clad boy enough that his mind refocused on the battle. However, Chat's words seemed to strike a nerve with Hawkmoth.

"Who are you to pass such condemnation on my actions within my own family. Who are you to say how I should treat my flesh and blood?"

Chat looked down and whispered, "Your flesh and blood."

Ladybug looked at Chat sympathetically before turning back to Hawkmoth. "Prepare to meet your doom."

Hawkmoth had continued to advance throughout the conversation so that he now stood not three feet away from the heroes. reaching back, he prepared to strike with his cane, but Ladybug was faster. Her yoyo zipped out and snagged the villain's cane right out of his hands. With an equally quick movement, Chat snatched the moth miraculous from Hawkmoth's throat. A brilliant flash of purple flooded the room as Hawkmoth detransformed for the last time. However, the brooch still retained its active form.

Gabriel fell to his knees. Ladybug and Chat looked at each other and the brooch.

"I don't think that was supposed to happen," Chat murmured.

"You don't get it, do you?" Gabriel Agreste looked up at the heroes. "The miraculous has to remain active if an akuma is active. I can - or rather could detransform while an akuma was active, but the brooch stayed active too. That's why I hid it under my tie."

"Great. We defeat Hawkmoth only to be back at square one with Mystic," Ladybug groaned. "Some plan that was."

"One of us could wear the miraculous and remove the akuma," Chat suggested.

Ladybug shook her head. "You forget, she has control over people."

"About that," Mr. Agreste interjected. "She really only has control of time, the rest was just the power of suggestion."

Ladybug and Chat Noir stared at him in disbelief, exclaiming in unison, "What?"


	18. Chapter 18

**I do not own characters, etc.**

"I only gave Mystic control over time. I just made her think that she had control of others."

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other in shock. Mystic had no control over them? It was all the power of suggestion? Chat's hand clenched into a fist as Ladybug took deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. That girl had died for no reason. There was no reason for the heroes to have had to share their identities. Everything they knew about this akuma was a lie.

"You want this miraculous, or should I have it?" Ladybug asked Chat, a deadly edge in her voice.

"I want it if you don't mind," Chat growled.

Ladybug nodded, handed over the miraculous and tied Mr. Agreste up with her yoyo. Chat sighed and tried to relax.

"Claws in."

A flash of green light lit up the dim lair. Gabriel's eyes widened when he saw Adrien standing there.

"You're - but how? With Gorizilla- I thought - but how?"

"Zip it, Hawkmoth," Ladybug snapped.

Adrien pinned the brooch to his shirt and looked at Ladybug. "Dark wings rise."

Another flash of light - this one purple - filled the lair. Adrien stood there dressed in a purple tuxedo with elegant coattails and a silver mask. White butterflies flitted around him, waiting for his commands.

"How do I remove the akuma?" he demanded of his father. "Tell me now."

Gabriel shrugged. "I've never had to do it. You two always get there first."

Ladybug leaned down to whisper in Mr. Agreste's ear. "But you know how. You short-circuited Evillistrator's powers. You threatened to full take his powers away. Now, how do you do that?"

Gabriel shivered and pointed at Adrien. "The miraculous is active, so you have ultimate control over the akuma. You have to focus on the akuma and give it commands. If you want to talk to the akumatized person, focus on the akumatized object."

Adrien nodded and thought about the black and purple butterfly. _Leave the girl and come back,_ he thought. Something in his mind trembled, but he could tell that his command was being obeyed.

"One more thing," Gabriel Agreste said. "If you force the akuma to leave the person, you will not undo the effects of their power."

Adrien groaned. "You're telling me this now?"

Gabriel shrugged. "I won't tell you the rest of what I know unless I have your miraculouses."

"Forget it," Ladybug groaned. "Chat, uh, Adrien?"

"Yeah?"

"We need everyone else again. This is going to be a pain, but we have to fix it."

The two heroes nodded at each other and left Gabriel Agreste in the dark lair. They were too focused on getting to Master Fu's that they didn't notice him walk over to a coffin and run his hand along it.

"I will get those miraculouses for you, my dearest," he whispered.

Ladybug and Adrien showed up at Master Fu's place quickly. Adrien detransformed with the moth miraculous and handed the still active miraculous to Master Fu.

"My father was Hawkmoth, but now the akuma is stopped. However, the effects are still in place."

"Are they?" Ladybug pitched in. "Your father didn't freeze when we took his miraculous."

Adrien and Ladybug looked at each other in horror.

"Plagg, claws out. Master Fu, we need all the miraculouses for our classmates again."

Master Fu nodded and gave the box of miraculouses to the saviors of Paris. Taking the moth miraculous for himself, he also handed over Wayzz's miraculous.

"I will do what I can from here," he said, ushering the heroes out the door.

Ladybug clutched the box as she swung over Paris. Chat looked around the city as people started moving around like nothing had happened.

"But he said it won't undo the effects of Mystic's power," Chat muttered under his breath.

"The effects, of course. Her power was undone, but the effects weren't. That means the poor girl is still dead."

"Plus all the damage from the minions, and whatever Mystic had been up to since we last saw her."

The realization gave the heroes a desperation that lent wings to their feet. Within moments they arrived at their school and ran into the akuma shelter. Secret identities would have to wait.

"Good, you're all unfrozen. Look, we need your help again," Ladybug said, opening the box.

"Line up for your miraculouses," Chat directed.

Alya darted over first to take her fox miraculous. Without hesitation, she transformed in front of the whole class. That triggered the rest of the class into action. Nino was next in line, followed by Alix, Max, and Ivan. Soon, everyone had taken their miraculous and transformed. Mme. Bustier stayed back from the line, watching in surprise. Chloe and Sabrina brought up the end of the line and exclaimed in surprise when Ladybug closed the box after Nathaniel took his miraculous.

"Excuse me, but my daddy would not like to hear that I'm being excluded from helping my favorite heroes."

"Give it a rest, Chloe," Chat groaned.

Ladybug rolled her eyes but opened up the box again. Without thinking hard, she handed Chloe the bee miraculous and Sabrina the rat miraculous. They both squealed in surprise when their kwamis appeared, but were excited to become superheroes.

"Just like last time, when we are done, you have to return your miraculouses to me," Ladybug instructed. "Now, Hawkmoth's miraculous has been taken, and Mystic has been taken down. However, we now have to figure out how to fix the effects of this akuma. We can't do this the usual way because we didn't defeat her the usual way. This is why we have called you all here for one last job. Are you ready?"

The class cheered, but Venem put his hand up.

"Excuse me, but how are we supposed to do this?"

Chat grinned. "That's the question we need to answer together."


	19. Chapter 19

"So, what are our facts?" Venom asked.

"Leave it to Max to be worried about facts," Chloe scoffed. "We are superheroes now! Is no one else excited?" She threw her arms around Ladybug. "Aren't you excited to have me on your team?"

"Give it a rest, Chloe," Chat groaned.

Ladybug untangled herself from Chloe's arms. "This isn't the time for this, Chloe. Also, we need to use superhero names. Everyone else has one, it's just you and Sabrina who have to pick."

"Ugh, fine. I'll be Queen Bee. And everyone better remember that I'm the queen, well, besides you, Ladybug."

Chat and Ladybug shook their heads before turning to Sabrina.

"Oh, I get to pick? Uh, I don't know. Chloe, I mean Queen Bee, could you help me? You're so much more awesome at picking superhero names."

"I know, aren't I? Let's see, you're a rat. What's the name of the rat in that book series you like so much? Wormy?"

"Wormtail. I can be Wormtail."

"Great, now that you've picked your names, we can move on." Ladybug turned away from the obnoxious pair. "Now, Venom, what were you asking again?"

"What are our facts? How does this time differ from the rest? What was up with Mystic? What happened with Hawkmoth?"

Chat Noir and Ladybug nodded before explaining everything that had transpired. They explained how Mystic only had control of time, but thought she had control of everything. They explained how the power of suggestion had forced the two saviors of Paris to let some things slide thinking that Mystic was controlling them. Ladybug trembled when they came to the part about the poor girl, so Chat stepped up and told it after wrapping his arm around her waist. When they told about how they defeated Hawkmoth, they made sure to keep his identities and their own secret. The superhero team listened to everything their experienced leaders said. Once Ladybug and Chat were done speaking, Venom and Rena Rouge spoke up.

"Why won't your power work?" Rena asked.

Venom asked, "So you didn't purify the akuma?"

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other.

"We never actually saw the akuma," Ladybug admitted.

Chat agreed. "I took Hawkmoth's miraculous and told the akuma to leave Mystic, but we didn't ever see it return."

"So we have to find the akuma, purify it, and try to use Ladybug's Lucky Charm to fix everything," Carapace groaned.

Ladybug and Chat looked at each other. Where did the akumas go once purified? Where did the akumas go anytime?

"Split up," Ladybug directed. "Queen Bee, you and Wormtail can be a pair. Black Beauty and Drakon are a pair. Chimpanzee and Rabid are a pair. Rena and Carapace are a pair. Venom and Roost King will be a pair, and that leaves Tigress and Dog Boy to be the last pair. Stay in your pairs and search the city for the akuma. It's a purple-black butterfly, but you should know this already. Chat and I have to follow a hunch."

The team got with their partners and spread out as Ladybug and Chat tried to duck under the radar and headed to Master Fu's.

"Careful," Ladybug warned. "He had a massage patient in here when time was frozen."

Chat nodded and the two slipped into the building. Crouching in the shadows, they watched as a very confused man left Master Fu's room.

"Goodbye! I hope your massage was satisfactory! Come back soon!" Master Fu smiled at the patient until the door shut behind him. "Come on in, Ladybug and Chat Noir. I may have one answer to your questions."

The superheroes followed the guardian into his room. Ladybug handed him the miraculous box and sat at the table. Chat joined Ladybug and the two waited as Master Fu put the box away.

"The akumas have been speaking to me, in a way, through the miraculous. I thought you had purified the akuma, Ladybug. When I found out you didn't, I started keeping track of where it was. Currently, it is on the top of the mayor's mansion."

Ladybug closed her eyes and groaned. "Who wants to bet Queen Bee went there? She's going to want to do it all to prove how helpful she is."

"You have to stop her from messing everything up," Master Fu said, "But you also have to give her a chance. She can never improve if you don't give her opportunity or reason to."

"She's decent once you get to know her, bugaboo." Chat pointed out.

"To you, maybe," Ladybug grumbled. "She hates me."

Chat shrugged. "Either way, we need to get over there to help them. Master, do you have any way you can communicate with us? Like we have the phones in our weapons."

Master Fu shrugged and transformed. Looking at the cane, he began to fiddle with it. Soon enough, a screen popped up with icons for every active miraculous.

"Good thing Hawkmoth didn't figure this out," Chat grinned. "He would've constantly been giving us voicemails."

"That would be paw-sitively annoying." Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know. Let's go help Queen Bee."

The two heroes dashed off, Chat complaining about Ladybug stealing his puns. They arrived at the mayor's mansion to see Wormtail and Queen Bee in a tangled mess around the flagpole. The akuma was perched nonchalantly on the peak of the flagpole, ignoring the heroic mess below it. Without hesitation, Ladybug caught the akuma while Chat messaged everyone to meet them.

"This is all Wormtail's fault!" Queen Bee complained when Chat and Ladybug stepped over to help untangle them. "I had it, but she got in my way!"

Wormtail gasped. "Are you really throwing me under the bus? I did nothing except what you told me."

Ladybug sighed. "Enough you two. We got the akuma, that's the important part."

"No thanks to Wormtail," Queen Bee muttered under her breath.

Chat rolled his eyes, but said nothing. The rest of the team made it to the mayor's mansion soon, and the heroes gathered around, ignoring the crowd assembling below them.

"We have purified the akuma, so hopefully Ladybug's Lucky Charm can fix everything," Chat told the group. "Are you ready, bugaboo?"

Ladybug searched her suit's pockets. "Where are they? Oh, found them. This is the first time I have gotten zero usage out of my Lucky Charm."

"Maybe we should've tried that earlier, m'lady, if it was what helped us defeat Hawkmoth."

Ladybug shook her head and threw the earplugs into the sky. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

Pink ladybugs swarmed through Paris, fixing damage from the minions and Mystic. Ladybug ran off, searching for the girl that had been killed. She arrived at the spot just in time to see the girl hugging her mother. It had worked. Calling Master Fu on her yoyo, Ladybug told him the good news. Heading back, she saw the team congratulating each other. This was a fantastic win, but she knew that after the excitement wore off, she would have to deliver the news of the final miraculous confiscation. However, for now she would let the team have their moment. They deserved it, after all.


	20. Chapter 20

_Thank you to all my readers and everyone who left reviews. This was my first fanfiction, and I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy this last chapter. If you have any comments on what I could do better next time or what I should continue to do, please leave a review. Thank you once more to all of you. Without further ado, here is the last chapter of this fanfic._

 **I do not own any characters, etc.**

"Thank you all for your support and help," Ladybug said to the hero team back in the school akuma shelter. "However, now that Hawkmoth has been defeated, it is time for all of you to return your miraculouses. I do not expect you to ever get them back."

A cry of shock went up from the team as they detransformed. However, the majority of them knew that Ladybug was right. Max led the way in returning his miraculous and the rest of the class followed. Alya was the last one in line, which made sense to Ladybug. Besides Ladybug and Chat Noir, Alya had had her miraculous the longest. Sighing, Alya surrendered her miraculous. Chloe and Sabrina stood off to the side, still clinging to their miraculouses. Sabrina seemed unsure, as if she wanted to do as Ladybug asked, but Chloe was determined to remain a hero.

"You two aren't giving up your miraculouses, are you? Why should I have to give up mine?"

Ladybug sighed. "We may have to give up our miraculouses too. We don't know. However, we do know that we have to collect ever single miraculous that we gave out, and that includes yours."

"You aren't going to be Ladybug anymore?" Chloe screeched. "But, how am I supposed to find you? You have to tell me who you are so that I can find you and we can still be besties!"

Chat snorted but tried to pass it off as a sneeze when Chloe gave him a death glare. Ladybug stifled a grin.

"I have to refuse that offer. My identity must remain secret. Even among my teammates."

Alya chimed in. "Yeah, she doesn't even tell Chat Noir her secret identity."

At those words, Ladybug blushed but carried on. "I'm sorry, Chloe, but you have to give back your miraculous."

Chloe sniffed and walked over to her hero. "Okay, but if you keep your miraculous, can you come over some time and hang out?"

Ladybug gave a small smile. "We'll see."

With that, Ladybug and Chat Noir took the miraculouses of their teammates back to Master Fu. For the first time in ages, the moth miraculous was back in its place. Now only four miraculouses remained out: Ladybug's, Chat Noir's, Mater Fu's turtle bracelet, and the peacock miraculous.

"We will find that one another time," Master Fu said smiling. "For now, you two need time together outside of an akuma attack to discuss things."

Chat grinned. "That's the truth."

"Yeah," Ladybug agreed. "It's a lot to handle, and we didn't have time to go through it properly when Mystic was out and about."

"Exactly." Chat's grin grew larger. "We have to discuss how we want to handle the relationship, and if we want to announce Ladybug and Chat Noir as a couple, or just Adrien and Marinette."

Ladybug blushed. "I think we need to get back to school."

"Whatever you wish, m'lady."

Master Fu smiled as the two heroes left to return to their civilian lives. "I was right, Wayzz. Those two are made for each other."

Later that night, Chat Noir slipped into Marinette's bedroom and detransformed. Marinette was sitting at her desk working on a new design. Adrien walked over and put his arms around her.

"So, bugaboo, is now a good time to talk?"

Marinette blushed. "I guess." _Please don't say anything about all the pictures of you I forgot to take down._

"So I'm guessing that the pictures aren't just because you're interested in fashion, am I right?"

 _So much for that. And now the excuse I gave after that TV show with Jagged won't work._ Marinette groaned. "Really?"

Adrien just laughed. "You're adorable when you're flustered."

Marinette leaned her head back on her chair to look up at him. "You're not helping."

He laughed again and leaned down. "What if I don't want to be helpful?"

"Silly kitty."

Adrien smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Marinette gave a small squeak of shock as electric sparks zipped through her body. Pushing her chair further back, she pressed her lips to his. They stayed there for awhile before pulling apart.

"So, should we announce Adrien and Marinette are dating first?" he grinned.

"Well, considering Ladybug and Chat Noir are leaving the public scene for awhile, yes."

"That works for me, bugaboo."

Marinette shook her head, grinning. "You really need to find a different set of nicknames for when we're civilians."

Adrien tilted his head and pretended to think hard. "How does Mari sound?"

"I like it," Marinette smiled. "And I'm guessing I shouldn't call you Adrikins."

"Heavens, no." Adrien shuddered. "I just realized we're going to have to deal with her when we tell the class."

"We can manage, minou."

Adrien smilled at Marinette. "That we can."

He pulled over another chair and wrapped his arm around her. She went back to working on her designs as they talked into the night. There would be many difficult things ahead of them, but for now they had each other, and that's all that mattered.

The End


End file.
